Washington County may ask voters for money to pay for sidewalks and street safety in unincorporated areas Published: Thursday, May 19, 2011, 3:35 PM Updated: Friday, May 20, 2011, 9:31 AM By Dana Tims, The Oregonian The Oregonian
Follow Share0 8 Share close Google Buzz Digg Stumble Upon Fark Share Email Print A proposal likely headed for the November ballot will ask voters in urban unincorporated Washington County to put up with reduced road maintenance in return for getting sidewalks and related street-safety improvements.
Although key parts of the proposal are still being worked out, it involves expanding the legal mission of the county's urban roads maintenance district.
The district, formed by voter approval in 1987, oversees maintenance of the 430 miles of local streets lacing through unincorporated but urbanized portions of the county. It raises about $3.6 million annually for that task by charging property owners about 25 cents per $1,000 assessed value.
The owner of an average-priced house in the county pays about $50 per year for the service.
Commissioner Andy Duyck first floated the idea to broaden the district's purview beyond just local street maintenance six years ago, only to see it go nowhere. He resurrected the idea during his successful campaign for board chairman last year and is now pushing to get a measure on November's ballot.
"Neighborhoods that used to be suburban are now urban," Duyck said. "That's put a lot of kids at considerable risk when they are just trying to walk to school."
Road maintenance would remain the district's first priority, he said. But unincorporated parts of the county -- home to more than 200,000 people, enough to compose the second-largest city in the state -- now course with enough motorists and pedestrians that sidewalks must now be considered crucial, as well.
Duyck is confident the measure can pass, even in the current era of budget reductions, because it won't ask voters to increase the district's assessment.
His proposal would free up money for sidewalk construction by allowing for reductions of pavement conditions in the district. It would not increase the amount of money residents are currently paying.
The "average" rating for all of the district's roads currently stands at 84.9 percent, according to the widely accepted Pavement Condition Index. Duyck thinks that can easily be reduced to around 65 percent.
"We're talking about levels that the average person would never even notice," he said. "If we explain that clearly, I think it will be a very easy sell to the public."
In addition to sidewalks, those savings could be applied toward intersection improvements, new pathways and signage and adding stop signs to currently uncontrolled intersections, said Victoria Saager, a spokeswoman for the county's Department of Land Use and Transportation.
The district's citizen advisory committee, initially convened late last year, currently is studying the idea. It is expected to make recommendations to the board of commissioners no later than the September deadline for placing measures on the November ballot.
"This is a big problem for the county," said James Trumper, committee chairman. "Newly developed land generally has sidewalks, but roads in much of the county have only a ditch, some vegetation or, if you are lucky, five feet of gravel to walk on."
In addition to mulling the street maintenance/sidewalk trade off, the committee is also considering a change that would allow district funds to be spent on major collectors and arterials. Currently, the district can maintain only local streets.
Trumper, however, said he is not yet personally sold on the latter point.
"I'm adverse to that," he said. "It doesn't solve local safety improvements."
When informed that Duyck favors that change, Trumper replied, "I'm not here to be a rubber stamp for Andy Duyck."
There is little argument that the district has met its original goal of improving the neighborhood streets.
Prior to the district's formation, more than 80 miles of neighborhood streets within the district were in "poor" or "very poor" condition. Only 77 percent were in "fair" or better shape.
The district's current pavement condition index of 84 ranks second in the county behind only Tualatin's 95. Beaverton (81), Hillsboro (83), Sherwood (76) and Tigard (68) all lag behind, according to district documents.
Although voters approved the district in 1987, it took two subsequent elections before they finally funded it in 1994. Even so, it took only five years from that point before the district met its stated goal of improving most urban local streets to a rating of "fair" within five years.
"We think we have a very good track record to point to," Duyck said. "We're hoping voters agree."
-- Dana Tims
Follow Share0 8 Share close Google Buzz Digg Stumble Upon Fark Share Email Print A proposal likely headed for the November ballot will ask voters in urban unincorporated Washington County to put up with reduced road maintenance in return for getting sidewalks and related street-safety improvements.
Although key parts of the proposal are still being worked out, it involves expanding the legal mission of the county's urban roads maintenance district.
The district, formed by voter approval in 1987, oversees maintenance of the 430 miles of local streets lacing through unincorporated but urbanized portions of the county. It raises about $3.6 million annually for that task by charging property owners about 25 cents per $1,000 assessed value.
The owner of an average-priced house in the county pays about $50 per year for the service.
Commissioner Andy Duyck first floated the idea to broaden the district's purview beyond just local street maintenance six years ago, only to see it go nowhere. He resurrected the idea during his successful campaign for board chairman last year and is now pushing to get a measure on November's ballot.
"Neighborhoods that used to be suburban are now urban," Duyck said. "That's put a lot of kids at considerable risk when they are just trying to walk to school."
Road maintenance would remain the district's first priority, he said. But unincorporated parts of the county -- home to more than 200,000 people, enough to compose the second-largest city in the state -- now course with enough motorists and pedestrians that sidewalks must now be considered crucial, as well.
Duyck is confident the measure can pass, even in the current era of budget reductions, because it won't ask voters to increase the district's assessment.
His proposal would free up money for sidewalk construction by allowing for reductions of pavement conditions in the district. It would not increase the amount of money residents are currently paying.
The "average" rating for all of the district's roads currently stands at 84.9 percent, according to the widely accepted Pavement Condition Index. Duyck thinks that can easily be reduced to around 65 percent.
"We're talking about levels that the average person would never even notice," he said. "If we explain that clearly, I think it will be a very easy sell to the public."
In addition to sidewalks, those savings could be applied toward intersection improvements, new pathways and signage and adding stop signs to currently uncontrolled intersections, said Victoria Saager, a spokeswoman for the county's Department of Land Use and Transportation.
The district's citizen advisory committee, initially convened late last year, currently is studying the idea. It is expected to make recommendations to the board of commissioners no later than the September deadline for placing measures on the November ballot.
"This is a big problem for the county," said James Trumper, committee chairman. "Newly developed land generally has sidewalks, but roads in much of the county have only a ditch, some vegetation or, if you are lucky, five feet of gravel to walk on."
In addition to mulling the street maintenance/sidewalk trade off, the committee is also considering a change that would allow district funds to be spent on major collectors and arterials. Currently, the district can maintain only local streets.
Trumper, however, said he is not yet personally sold on the latter point.
"I'm adverse to that," he said. "It doesn't solve local safety improvements."
When informed that Duyck favors that change, Trumper replied, "I'm not here to be a rubber stamp for Andy Duyck."
There is little argument that the district has met its original goal of improving the neighborhood streets.
Prior to the district's formation, more than 80 miles of neighborhood streets within the district were in "poor" or "very poor" condition. Only 77 percent were in "fair" or better shape.
The district's current pavement condition index of 84 ranks second in the county behind only Tualatin's 95. Beaverton (81), Hillsboro (83), Sherwood (76) and Tigard (68) all lag behind, according to district documents.
Although voters approved the district in 1987, it took two subsequent elections before they finally funded it in 1994. Even so, it took only five years from that point before the district met its stated goal of improving most urban local streets to a rating of "fair" within five years.
"We think we have a very good track record to point to," Duyck said. "We're hoping voters agree."
-- Dana Tims
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